#EdTech Showcase
As Albert Einstein so eloquently put it, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” My educational technology showcase highlights just that, it highlights my supreme art of teaching that has been awaken with joy in creative expression through technology and science that exhibits my new gained knowledge from completing my Master of Arts degree in Educational Technology from Michigan State University. The nine projects below explore the depths of the MAET program in which I was able to learn, explore, create and share my projects. I chose to showcase these artifacts to highlight both my passion for technology and science. In completing these projects, not only have I have gained a new perspective of how to implement technology, but also how to use it as an instructional tool and a lifelong learning tool. Below, you will find three main categories including implementing technology in the 21st century classroom, instructional tools for teaching with technology, and a section on my personal endeavors: lifelong learning. I hope your enjoy exploring these artifacts as much as I did creating them.
#EdtechImplementation
Implementating Technology in the 21st Century Classroom
Project |01
Project |01 Learning through PBL
This digital story that I created, illustrates the theory of learning through project based teaching (PBL). This type of teaching helps students understand how they can make meaning from their experiences at different ages. PBL is an approach to education in which students build on what they know by asking questions, investigating, interacting with others and reflecting upon these experiences
The digital story paints a picture of the “Battle of the Bands” project my seventh grade students created for Music Month using Makey-Makey kits. As demonstrated in the video, my students used cooperative learning to develop a final production. The parts of the project included a RAFT outline, developing four teams that had to work together to create and finalize vocals, rhythm and harmony, instrumental design team, and lastly, a final production crew. As the project ended, they were responsible to fill out self-evaluation to gauge their own learning and their team’s contributions. The students evaluated their weaknesses and strengths, too.
Project |02
Project |Using Storybird
As a technology enthusiast, passion lies deep within in me. While teaching technology, I had an unique job that allowed me to teach and share my passion with over 200 students on a weekly basis. I had the joys of teaching students as young as junior kindergarten all the way through eighth grade. Each class brought a diverse and unique learning environment that allowed me to creatively adopt and use various forms of technology in my classroom.
Using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom allows student to engage and create masterpieces. To convey my passion for technology, love of teaching and creative side, I created a book called, A Pocket Full of Passion, A Tale Created by a Teacher for Her Students using the digital web 2.0 tool, Storybird. Enjoy the story about passion and making your dreams come true.
Project |03
Project |03 Flipped Classroom
In creating this project, "We're Going on a Rock Hunt", I used Google Doc's to flip a traditional lesson about Rocks into a digital lesson about rocks. This lesson was a snapshot of a larger unit about rocks geared towards my 6th grade Earth Science class.
This hybrid lesson took place at home and in class. The two major takeaways from this activity was that students were able to list the characteristics used to identify rocks and were able to identify and describe the three major groups of rocks.
As students engaged in this activity, they used new media tools such as Google Docs, interactive web pages, a virtual lab activity to test and classify rocks, and lastly, the ability to watch Youtube videos to further understand and apply major concepts and terms.
Project |04
Project |04 Maker Movement
As stated by the Nobel Prize winner George Bernard Shaw, “Imagination is the beginning of creation." You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will.” As I furthered explored ways that I could make teaching come alive with my maker kit, one question that piqued my curiosity was: how does creative production support learning in my discipline?
While using my maker kit, excitement sparked when I thought of ways that my middle school students could use these kits with the program Scratch, or how my elementary students could use these kits when learning about electricity and circuits. In particular, I was compelled by the idea of my own middle school students having the opportunity to design and create their own version of a remote control to play with their games that they had created in the program Scratch. Creating a unit geared towards gaming would be fun and engaging for my students. So, below you will find my lesson!
Click here to view and check out a lesson I created using a Makey-Makey kit to create your own set of gaming goggles & Click here for creating a remote control using the Makey-Makey kit.
#Edtechtools
Instructional Tools for Using Technology in the Classroom
Project |05
Project |05 Online Class
In shaping and creating my online course, I wanted to create a course that would be challenging, thought provoking, and brought out my students creativity and collaborative efforts. My course, iPading 101: is a Professional developmental course on how to use the iPad as an instructional too. I created the course using Haiku Learning.
During this online course, students will be doing a great amount of collaboration by showcasing their work, providing feedback , discussing relevant problems and learning together. This provides an enthusiastic online environment that is not only inviting, but productive.
My online professional development course challenges my students to explore content via the world wide web, learn new information, create projects, engage in discussions, and collaboratively share projects and ideas with their fellow colleagues via the internet.
Project |06
Project |06 Sketch Up
The key idea explored in this project, was to evaluate and design our own personal learning space with 21st century eyes, examining if we are providing the best learning space for our own students.
As stated by Helen Hish Spence from the book, The Third Teacher, “good lessons need exquisite design-so that teachers can stretch students in their dominant and preferred learning styles. Brain research is giving us great insights into how we can vary teaching methods to meet the needs of different learning styles (pg.58). One way to meet the needs of different learning styles is focusing on experience design. Experience design is something a “user” encounters everyday. In this instance, a student experiences learning everyday in their classroom environment (Van Gelderen, n.d.).
Focusing on experience design, I explored the program SketchUp, a 3D drawing program. In using this 3D drawing program, I got to design our dream learning space that resembled our learning theory beliefs.
To the left, you will find some sketches that I created for my futuristic classroom that resembles a project based learning environment centered on Marshall McLuhan’s beliefs that education must shift from instruction to discovery, to probing and exploration in the classroom (Kahl, 2011).
Project |07
Project |07 Mozilla Popcorn Maker
In the Mozilla Popcorn Maker video, you will see what instructional technology looks like in the 21st century. In this minute long demonstrable video, which was created in Mozilla Popcorn Maker, you will see that teachers are taking material, combining it with what they have, and subsequently transforming it into something new. Instructional technology in the 21st century heavily depends upon the web and making it come alive in your classroom. Instructional technology is pushing students to communicate effectively and collaborate with peers. Furthermore, it is turning students into teachers and teachers into facilitators. Lastly, it is allowing students to hold the freedom of creativity while encompassing the act of “play”. Dale Dougherty quoted that, “all of us are makers” (Dougherty, 2011). We all can make something! Dale Dougherty talks about the act of playing with technology and discovering what the technology can do, or what you can do with it. (Dougherty, 2011). This project was a good example of playing with technology, along with getting familiar with the value of a new tool.
Project |08
Project |08 Conference proposal using Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom
In creating a group conference proposal, our group focused on presenting about Web 2.0 Tools. Our presentation proposal included the positive implications that Web 2.0 Tools in the 21st Century Classroom. This presentation was a comprehensive and interactive presentation that promoted active learning and participation from all students.
The term “Web 2.0 Tool” refers to resources found on the World Wide Web that allow students to interact collaboratively with their classmates and teacher to increase discussion, engagement and learning. Examples of Web 2.0 tools include blogs, chat rooms, polls, social media and wiki sites.
Our conference proposal demonstrated for educators how to transform a traditional classroom into a Web 2.0 classroom that incorporated the use of technology and the Internet on a regular basis. The goal for the conference is to have participants utilizing their own devices to experience first-hand Web 2.0 tools during the presentation. With the knowledge of these tools, teachers will be able to create a learning environment that caters to the 21st century learner. By utilizing Web 2.0 tools in the classroom, a teacher will increase student engagement by creating interactive lessons while allowing students to work collaboratively in and outside of the classroom.
#EdTechLifeLongLearning
Personal Endeavors
Project |09
Project |09 Personal Manifesto
The passion, curiosity, and innovation (PCI) STEM manifesto is a movement to push educators to get our youth to be prepared for our rapidly evolving job market and future in the following areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This manifesto will help assist educators to fully understand policy reform, renewal of passion in teaching, proper methods and instructional approaches to pique curiosity, and lastly, provide a roadmap to move towards a more innovative future. This PCI STEM manifesto is particularly tailored to the area of science and technology with further research on the holistic approach of STEM, including engineering and mathematics. Innovation as we see it today, is an integral part of formation for our future scientists. This PCI manifesto will provide educators with an increase awareness and knowledge to prepare our youth for a brighter, more innovated future in and out of the 21st century classroom. Make sure to click on the link above to view my manifesto in full detail.
A Pursuit of Passion, Curiosity, and Innovation in the Classroom using STEM
A Science Teacher’s Personal Manifesto
“Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.”
~Walter Elias Disney